Former Pak PM Gilani’s son booked for murder

LAHORE: Pakistan’s former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son has been booked in a murder case after his security guard allegedly shot dead a young biker for not clearing the way for “VIP movement” here.

Tanvir Javed told police that his 23-year-old son Tahir Malik was going to Defence area on a motorbike yesterday evening when he had a heated exchange with Abdul Qadir, Gilani’s eldest son, and his security guards.

“Gilani junior’s guards on a double cabin signalled Tahir to get aside to clear the way for the VIP. As Tahir took a little time to move to extreme left of the road a guard opened fire on him, killing him on the spot,” Javed said. Following the incident, Javed along with his family placed his son’s body outside the Defence Y Block residence of Yousuf Raza Gilani and demanded registration of a murder case against Qadir and his guards.

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf workers also joined the protesters. Imran Khan has declared a “war on VIP culture” in Pakistan.

The protesters shouted slogans against VIP culture. A heavy contingent of police reached the spot to stop protesters from entering Gilani’s house.

After several hours of protest, the police booked Qadir and his five guards under murder and terrorism charges.

“We have arrested one of Mr Qadir’s guards, Muhammad Khan, after registering a case against him and his five guards under sections 302 of Pakistan Penal Code and 7 anti-terrorism act,” senior police officer Haider Ashraf told PTI. He said the statements of eyewitnesses have been recorded. “We have included the terrorism charges in the FIR as killing someone on the road without any provocation amounts to creating terror in society,” the official explained. Qadir told police that since his family had been under severe security threats after the kidnapping of his younger brother Ali Haider Gilani in May 2013 his guards opened fire on Tahir mistaking him as “assailant”.

“We offer our deep regret to the family of Tahir,” he said.

The case was apparently registered after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered Lahore police chief to probe the matter.